EN 205 FALL
2017
British Literature I
:
Paper 1
Guidelines, Topics, and Rubric
For your first paper, y
ou must make and support an interpretive argument about the Middle Ages
texts.
The task of the interpretive argument is to come up with a plausible and well
-crafted research question, and
developing a case for seeing a text in a particular way using relevant evidence and valid reasoning
. It doesn’t
need to be the best case out there, or the final word on the topic.
When you put together an interpretive argument, y
ou’re trying on a well
-crafted idea to see how it fits. A
critically engaged essay is not one in which you share the thoughts of others on a topic,
but a process of
thinking through a question for yourself
.
Good essays have the spark of genuine inquiry, of someone trying to understand better something they are
curious about.
For example, i
nterpretative arguments don’t just argue that a character is good or evil; they don't just argue that
certain factors caused a character to behave in a certain way; nor
do they argue for how a character should deal
with a problem.
Because you are advocating a particular perspective,
you’ll need to take note of alternative points of view and
explain (using valid argument and pertinent evidence) why you choose this perspective he or she does over such
alternatives
. Assessing why one argument is weak while another is strong is part of the task at hand. Some
interpretations are more
plausible than others, some arguments are more valid than others, some treatments of
evidenc
e are more reasonable than others, and some are simply inaccurate or objectionable.
A good thesis has to be controversial, in some sense
. That means you have to make a case that can be either
right or wrong, that people can argue about.
Neither, however, can you really argue about matters of opinion.
Controversial isn't the same as subjective
.
If your paper is simply about a matter of taste or preference, there's no way to argue about it. So: if you can't
argue about facts, and you can't argue about opinions — what's left?
Matters of interpretation
, things that (at
least in principle) can be right or wrong, but aren't obvious on first glance.
Here's a tip: write on something you don't understand on the first reading, because it almost forces you to come
up with a controversial thesis. By “don't understand” I'm not talking about “don't understand the words.” I
assume you've made at least a minimal effort to get the literal meaning. What I mean is that you should find
things that puzzle you, that don't see
m to fit into your understanding of the text, because the best theses are
always lurking there. Once you've got a puzzle, something that bothers or confuses you, you're on the trail of a
good, controversial thesis. Try to answer it to your own satisfaction, probably by resorting to close reading.
DEADLINE
S:
THESIS STATEMENT: Due Thursday
, September 28,
IN CLASS. Bring a printed out copy.
FINAL DRAFT: Due Thursday, Oct. 12
, at 11:59 PM
. Only uploaded papers into the Turnitin Assignment in
Blackboard will be accepted. Late papers will be graded down accordingly.
LENGTH
:
Pap
er must be three (3) FULL pages and no more
. No Wor
ks Cited, no secondary sources.
MLA STYLE
(mandatory)
:
1) MLA Format with 1-
inch margins
2) 12-
pt. Times New Roman font
3) Includes MLA heading, pagination, and parenthetical in
-text citations with poem line numbers
.
4)
If you are unfamiliar with MLA, here is an excellent online source:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/
Other style requirements for THESIS STATEMENTS AND TOPIC SENTENCES:
BOLD
your thesis statement and UNDERLINE
topic sentences in the body of your paper.
NOTE: Your paper should be primarily
an interpretive
argument paper
, NOT a research paper, so I do
not want you to use secondary sources (sources about the selections).
How to format embedded quotations:
NOTE: Short, illustrative direct quotations should be “sprinkled” throughout the paper.
No half
-page
block quotations
.
Furthermore, no quotation “stands alone” or “means what it says.” Follow the quotation with
an analysis or explanation of why the quotation is relevant to or illustrates the claim you are
trying to make in
the topic sentence of your paragraph.
Only cite the LINE NUMBERS (or Part/Fitt and lines) of poems.
Re
place the line breaks with a virgule (a back slash). For stanza breaks, use two virgules.
Example: In
Beowulf
, Hrothgar, the Dani
sh king, entreats Beowulf: “O flower of warriors, beware of
that trap. / Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, / eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride
” (1758
- 1760).
NOTE: The titles for epic poems like
Beowulf,
Lanval
,
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
, and
The
Canterbury
Tales
are italicized.
Note that the titles of short poems go in quotation marks and are not italicized.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING CONVENTIONS OF LITERARY ANALYSIS:
1. Analyze each text in the simple present tense.
2. Avoid the use of “
I” (I believe, I think, I understand). If you are making claims in your paper, the reader
assumes this is what you believe, think, and understand. If you find yourself writing, “I think that the author of
Beowulf
tries to redeem a pagan hero by comparing him to Christ
...,” then just delete “I think that” and
continue with the declarative statement: “The author
of
Beowulf
tries to redeem a pagan her
o by comparing him
to Christ
.”
Topics:
You may c
hoose ONE of the following prompts for your paper topic.
You should not view these topics as
essay questions that require answers that adhere strictly to the specifics of the phrasing. Rather, view these
essay questions as a starting point for your own thinking about the topic. Therefore, ...
you are welcome to develop your own topic, but you must meet with me at least one week prio
r to the due
date for the final draft
.
Answers
Status NEW
Posted 04 Dec 2017 01:12 PM
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